


Savior

by duraznero



Category: Better Call Saul (TV), Breaking Bad
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Max Arciniega and Gus/Max, Pre-Canon, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 08:56:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15991916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duraznero/pseuds/duraznero
Summary: Gale goes to college. The benefactor who made it possible for him is not really what he expected him to be.





	Savior

**Author's Note:**

> This was mostly inspired by the scene in "Something Beautiful" when we see Gale again for the first time in years and... good God, his crush on Gus is so painfully obvious. So of course I had to write something between them and how I thought their first meeting went like.
> 
> This is my very first fic written for the BrBa universe, so I hope you'll enjoy it! And special shout-out to my beta Zeal (aka @universally-interested on tumblr) - you really saved my life over here!
> 
> I don't own Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul and if I did, both Gale and Gus wouldn't have died.

Gustavo Fring was many things to many people. For some, he was a brilliant businessman, a philanthropist and man with compassion for others, a kind and benevolent boss, a pillar of the Albuquerque community.  
There were a few people, unbeknownst to most decent citizens, who had encountered a different side to the well-mannered and humble owner of a fast food restaurant chain; they knew just how ruthless, brutal and cold-hearted he could be, even if his mask of affability was set in place perfectly. These individuals respected him, albeit often begrudgingly as many downright hated him, but no one in this line of business was striving to be liked by their co-workers. Yet he was someone who demanded respect in everything did and a business run by someone who wasn’t able to run a tight ship was a lost cause.

Gale Boetticher was one of the few people who knew both sides of Gus - the law-abiding and the criminal one - and if there was one word which he could use to describe this man unlike all the others, it was “savior”.

 

It was 1995 when the 20 year old son of Juergen and Abigail Boetticher, residents of a small town in Pennsylvania, received a letter from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. It was the first one he had received and it wouldn’t be the only one he’d get.

Gale had sent out out applications to universities all over the country, all the way from the Northwest Coast to Florida, with only one hope: become as independent as possible somewhere far away from home. It wasn’t that he had problems with his parents - he loved his parents, whom he saw as the kindest people he has ever met - but their strictness and overprotectiveness towards their only child had left with him wanting freedom and the ability to choose whatever he wants above all.

He had graduated from high school with honors and recommendations from all of his teachers for several universities, yet his parents had insisted that he’d stay in the area and get a steady job. The next university or college was at least a 3 hours drive away and it would’ve required him to move out, something which both Mr and Mrs Boetticher dreaded to no end.

Yet when the acceptance letter from UNM came, saying that with the greatest pleasure he would be given one of 30 spots within the newest scholarship for gifted chemistry students, he knew that the offer was too good to pass up. The opportunity of a scholarship which took over every cost of livelihood he had and sank his tuition fees to a ridiculous number had him almost choke on his dinner while his parents’ eyes doubled in size. There was a deadline that ended just 10 days after the letter was received by the recipient, probably in order to have students make their decision for UNM quicker, and Gale had every intention of taking the offer, no matter how many other acceptances would come. 

 

Albuquerque was, despite its reputation as a dead end in the middle of nowhere, a surprisingly pleasant city, the desert itself somehow just added to the charm, and Gale had instantly fallen in love with the campus, his dorm and everything that smelt of his newly-won freedom. 

The kind benefactor who had set up the Maximino Arciniega scholarship had arranged a get-together with an ensuing lunch to get to meet all the recipients in person one week before the semester began for freshmen. Despite his parents’ insistence at wanting to join him, he managed to convince them to go on a hike through the desert and perhaps stargaze. He wore the suit his parents had brought for him, despite not feeling comfortable in it. Yet he knew how important a first impression was and he wanted to look like he was taking this serious.

The get-together was held at a conference room in the chemistry building on the sixth floor, and it showed when Gale climbed the last set of stairs and felt like he was sweating out of every pore. So much for good first impressions.  
When he entered the room, most of the seats were already filled, with the exception of the four at the head of the table. Some of his future colleagues were shyly looking around as if they didn’t know what to do with themselves, while others had already started small talking. He spotted a free seat almost at the head of the table between two girls; the one on the left already excitedly chatting with her neighbor, while the one on his right seemed very interested in a pamphlet he had seen someone handing out on campus.

“Can I have this seat?”

“Oh, sure”, the girl on his left said and made an inviting gesture while her short-haired neighbor nodded encouragingly.

“You’re free to join us. I’m Olivia by the way.”

“Gale, nice to meet you.”

“‘Sup, Gale!” the one with short hair said. “I’m Lola. You from around here?”

Olivia was from Minneapolis and double majoring in chemistry and biology, whereas Lola was an ABQ native who to their delight shared most of her courses with Gale. Both of them were enthusiastic about the start of the semester and were already planning which student clubs to join. Joyfully, he joined their conversation, as did Esther, his right-hand neighbor and originally from New Haven, at some point, even if she was a lot less talkative than the others, occasionally fidgeting with one of her curls or pushing her glasses back up her nose. Just as she was about say why she was double majoring in history along with chemistry, two men and a woman, entered the room. The woman and one of the men wore casual yet elegant clothing whereas the second man wore a navy blue suit.

The man not wearing a suit apologized for their slight tardiness as he and the others made their way to the head of the table. He took the seat there, but not before offering it to the man in the suit, presumably the benefactor who initially set up the scholarship, and now Gale really noticed him in detail as he sat down, politely declining the man’s offer with a charming smile, less than 3 meters away from him.

He had expected someone who founds a scholarship for a university to be a businessman, obviously, and he sure did look like one with his sharp attire, but he had also expected him to… well, not be two things: relatively young and _handsome _.__

Usually someone who has enough money to finance a project like this needs to have been working for quite some time, but there were no wrinkles on his face - except the ones around his eyes, as if he was always smiling and in a good mood, and his short curly hair was dark and full. He couldn’t possibly be beyond his late 30’s.  
His features were sharp and his smooth dark skin had a glow. Gale imagined it to feel soft like a peach if he were to touch it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all so very much for appearing here today, I am Dean Xiomara Nelson-Vallejo, Head of the Natural Science Department of the University of New Mexico. I welcome all of you to Albuquerque and am happy you decided to join our renowned faculty. And of course congratulations to all of you on being recipients of the recently founded Maximino Arciniega scholarship!”

Dean Nelson-Vallejo smiled warmly at the freshmen.

“Which brings us to those two wonderful people who joined us today. The man to my left is someone who you’ll have a lot to do with: Professor Ramón Villalobos, he is responsible for the scholarships here at UNM.”

Decent clapping greeted Professor Villalobos who smiled politely.

“Thank you. But we should remember who exactly made all of this possible. We are very honored to have him here, he is a very busy man who nevertheless had it in him to clear his schedule just for this little get-together: Gustavo Fring.”

He started to clap, the woman following his example and soon the entire table was clapping in appreciation. 

Gustavo Fring smiled humbly and stood up when Professor Villalobos signalled him to speak, straightening his jacket, closing the button, looking around the table and into everyone’s faces. When he reached Gale and their gazes locked for a split second, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkled slightly. Gale had no idea which face he was making; he hoped he didn’t look stupid.  
His eyes were of a very dark brown and there was an intelligence and awareness in them that almost made Gale shudder.  


“Thank you very much, Xiomara and Ramón.” he said with an honest smile. “I too welcome each and every one of you here and am glad to finally be able to meet the very intelligent people who have rightfully earned this scholarship. I’m sure all of you have a bright future ahead of you and the University of New Mexico can consider itself lucky to harbor such brilliant people as yourselves.”

His voice was soft with a melodic tone and a strong Spanish accent. Gale wondered where exactly he originally came from.

“I’m sure you wonder why the owner of a fast food business would invest in a fully-paid scholarship for gifted science students. You cannot imagine how many people have already asked me about this and told me their opinion of it.” He laughed lightly, some people joining him.

Mr Fring took a deep breath before he continued.

“I have always been a friend of the sciences. Making food is not only an art, it is a science, and as such has a lot in common with chemistry. The person with who I initially founded my restaurant chain was a very gifted chemist, he is also the one who bears the name of this scholarship. Due to an unfortunate accident, he is no longer with us, but he left the world the gift of his culinary skills, which I present at Los Pollos Hermanos.”

Gale blinked. His family had driven by a fast food restaurant of that name as they arrived at Albuquerque. That certainly was unexpected.

“But I knew I had to honor his other passion, the other love of his life: chemistry. Maximino Arciniega was a man of very humble origins who under normal circumstances would have never enrolled at university because money and status, more often than not, prevent people from achieving their fullest potential. He deserved to be honored in this way, by creating a way for those whose abilities are not instantly visible to society yet have a chance at progressing. That is why you, ladies and gentlemen, are here. Because I believe that every single one of you has the potential for greatness and you deserve to have a chance at it.”

He raised his glass of champagne. “Here’s to all of you, may you make progress and always reach for the stars.”

“Cheers!” Everyone followed him suit, saluting their neighbors while Gustavo Fring sat down again, his full lips curved into a smile.

“Thank you, thank you very much. And I hope the food is to everyone’s taste.”

“I’m sure it will be, Mr Fring.” Dean Nelson-Vallejo said.

 

The food was pretty good as it turned out, but ever since Gale had seen a documentary about the unethical conditions in which chicken, turkeys and animals in general lived on mass containment farms, he had always felt a little queasy eating meat products. But he didn’t want to be rude or have anyone think of him as odd.  
While he was engaging in a conversation with Esther, his gaze drifted off to Gustavo Fring more often than he would like to admit. Their eyes wouldn’t meet again until after the lunch when Mr Fring would make say his goodbyes and wishing well to every student.

“Mr Boetticher.” He had that charming smile on, and Gale felt as if those eyes could drill right into him and stare into his very being, reading him like a book. “I wish you all the best for the beginning of your studies. We expect great things from you.”

Mr Fring’s handshake was firm but not in a demanding way, his hand was soft and warm.

Gale smiled back at him.

 

_3 years later ___

 

Gus had never been at an exclusively vegetarian restaurant, and he doubted that he would’ve ever entered one if it weren’t for Gale Boetticher. But it was a small price to pay if he wanted to accommodate the star chemistry pupil.

Over the last years he had revealed his talents as an excellent chemist, not just with his natural talents but also his diligence and thirst for knowledge. He was on the way to becoming the greatest science alumnus the University of New Mexico had ever produced, and it had happened because of Gus. He couldn’t help but feeling proud of it - a diamond in the rough, discovered by none other than him.

He liked Gale. A lot of people liked Gale because he was a genuinely nice and considerate person with good manners. During their last end of the semester dinner at which he had always invited the scholarship recipients, he had noticed the closely-knit friendship that had formed between him and the students Nuñez, Carter and Levin. In addition to that, Gale had taken a job as lab assistant last semester and had gotten nothing but praise for doing such good work.

He also knew that Gale liked him, but not merely in the way you’d look up to a mentor as a father figure. It was the look in his eyes, the way his gaze lingered on him a split second too long that were telling, as were Gale’s little expressions when they talked.

A silly little crush. This and nothing more. 

He knew that Gale would never act on whatever he felt, probably because he held Gus in too much esteem to consider being inappropriate towards him - which the situation was: utterly inappropriate. It was harmful for Gale and his emotional well-being, but despite that Gus didn’t have the heart to confront him about the issue. He had to keep him close because while others saw Gale’s potential as a brilliant chemist, they didn’t see the most important thing about that - he could become the missing piece Gus had been looking for to use in his operation.

And besides, he didn’t want him to go through unnecessary emotional pain. He would learn his lesson that Gus was untouchable, not just to him but to everyone, and have to accept it. Gustavo Fring was an exquisite painting by a world-famous artist, Gale was allowed to look and marvel at him but had to keep his distance, like all of them.

He couldn’t do this to Max’s memory. They had been through so much, the years he had given Max, the years Max had given him, the shared moments, the disagreements, the reconciliations, the whole package of being together for almost two decades. The mere concept of there being someone else would be the same as spitting on his unmarked grave wherever it might be.  
Yet, in a sense this chemistry prodigy had reminded him so much of his Max that at first it had taken him aback. The inherent openness, the idealism, a certain naivety, and of course the deeply running love for the sciences. If Max had been alive, he probably would’ve liked Gale a lot, simply because he would’ve reminded him of his younger self.

 

The door of the restaurant swung open and Gale walked in, dressed in dark jeans, a white shirt with the logo of UNM and a simple dark jacket. Gus smiled when he was spotted right away and stood up to shake Gale’s hand.

“Sorry for being late, Mr Fring, I was needed elsewhere, it was quite important.”

“Good evening, Gale, it is not a problem at all. I hope everything is quite alright?”

“Well, now it is, but thank you for asking.” Gale sat down as he looked around with a grin on his face. “I didn’t even know you knew this place existed! I come here from time to time with some friends, I can really recommend the Chili sin Carne if you’re into that kind of stuff.”

“I will consider it then. What was so important that you arrived late?” Gus asked almost casually.

Gale squirmed; anyone who didn’t pay attention to details would’ve ignored it, but he noticed. “Well, I was with… an activist group on campus.”

“Really? That sounds quite interesting, I know your friend Ms Nuñez is a member of the local Communist Party, but I wasn’t aware you were also politically active.”

Gale visibly twitched.

“She told you that?”

“Yes, we had a quite interesting conversation at the last annual scholarship dinner. She is a very outspoken young woman who said some things I took home with me that evening.”

“Oh, okay.” 

He took a deep breath. It reminded Gus of how he would confess to his parents on those rare occasions when he did something they would disapprove of. 

“Well, I was with the animals’ rights group from campus, we are gonna hand out flyers to inform people of the conditions in mass livestock farming.” 

If he had expected Gus to make any sort of degrading comment or disapproving facial expression, he would be disappointed - although most likely happy to not have stepped on any toes.

“This sounds very interesting, Gale. I’m glad to know you are engaged in a cause, everyone should try to change the world for the better. I will try to ask for a flyer once you announce when you will be on campus.”

The smile on Gale’s face grew. 

“Thanks, Mr Fring.”

His brief expression of relief dropped and he quickly waved his hand as if to chase away a bothersome insect.

“But really, let’s order something. I personally am starving.”

Gus smiled. 

“Yes, I am quite hungry too. And as fascinating your political endeavors sound to me, I wanted to speak to you for a much different reason.”

Gale raised an eyebrow.

“Um, sure?”

“I have been following every recipient’s path in their studies closely, as you surely can guess. And you, I have been told, just might be the greatest student the department of chemistry has encountered on UNM.”

Several beats passed until Gale opened his mouth.

“Oh, wow. That,” he exhaled loudly, “is probably an exaggeration, but wow.” 

He shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“It isn’t.” 

Gus put on a serious expression and fixed Gale with a stern look. It didn’t displease him that he was so humble about his own abilities, but it was still somewhat sad to see him have so little confidence. On the other hand, that could be a good thing.

“Gale, you are a brilliant young man who will only get better at what you do. I’m very convinced that you will make it very far in life and that others will recognize your genius. In fact, that is the reason I’m here: Dean Nelson-Vallejo told me the university fully intends to put you on the honor roll for next year, of course only if your final exams and your thesis are good but,” he chuckled “I think we can be very sure that it will happen.”

Gale’s reaction to this was exactly what Gus had expected. His cheeks and ears turned red like a cooked lobster and he avoided looking right in his face as he wrung his hands.

“Thank you very much, Mr Fring.” 

He looked up at Gus as if he had just brought him the moon from the night sky. < p /> “You have no idea what this means to me, it’s,” he laughed, “such a big honor. And these kind words, especially coming from you, mean very much to me.”

For a few seconds a silence hung around them until Gus exhaled and asked:

“Let’s order now, shall we? I’m quite curious as to how your recommended plate will taste like.”

 

It was quite good, as it turned out. He had better, much better, several years ago when Max had tried out his own version of the traditional recipe for their customers, back when Gus was the one who did the taste tests.

Gale picked the vegetarian version of a South Asian dish, and while they ate, they were engaged in loose conversation, mostly about university. When they were done, Gus asked for the check.

“I almost forgot to ask, do you already know what to do afterwards?”

“You mean after becoming a graduate? I had a chat with Professor Villalobos at the beginning of this month about organic chemistry and how the field is structured. It’s really interesting and I’m considering it. I’ll do some extra courses this semester to see what I might be getting into and I’ll see from then on.”

“I truly admire your commitment to your studies, Gale, diligence like this is a virtue and a rare trait to find.” He let a meaningful pause before his next words. “If you want me to, I can put in a good word for you, just as a favor. As I said, I’m certain you will do a stellar job.”

“Really? I wasn’t really asking for that but,” he shrugged, “if you want you, I’d be very grateful. Thank you, again, Mr Fring.” He paused. “Can I be honest with you?”

Gus straightened his back and gave Gale an attentive look. 

“With me, always. I appreciate honesty in every life aspect.”

“All of this couldn’t have been made possible if it weren’t for you. So when I say ‘thank you’, I want you to know I mean it.”

This was very forward for Gale, but not out of character. He wanted him to know just how much he appreciated him, and he hoped he would get at least a little approval from Gus, even the smallest amount would be good for him, Gus was sure of that.

“You shouldn’t have to thank me, Gale. It is outrageous that these scholarships have to exist in the first place to make such discoveries as yours possible, but you should never feel as if you owe me anything, please.”

Just as Gale opened his mouth, the waitress brought the check.

“No, no, please, I insist.” Gus said when Gale reached for the wallet in his back pocket and instead tipping the waitress generously in addition to paying the bill.

“I have work to do now, sadly my business doesn’t sleep.” He said apologetically and stood up from his chair.

“It was very nice seeing you, and I wish you all the best for this semester and your preparation for your master program. Organic chemistry would certainly suit you.”

He smiled and put a hand on Gale’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure your future is going to be exceptionally bright. We will each other at the end of the semester dinner.”

Gale’s face wasn’t as red as when Gus had complimented him but nevertheless there was more color than usual, and his smile was happy and broad.

“Thank you, Mr Fring. See you soon.” 

 

When Gustavo sat down in his car, which he had parked right across the street, he looked back to the restaurant. Through the window he saw Gale, still not having left, chatting with the waitress. She had addressed Gale by his first name when she had taken their orders, so he assumed they were friends or at least acquaintances.

He was being honest; he did think the future held a lot for him. But this could only happen with him by his side, as the person who would give him the push into the right direction. Right now, Gale was the most promising prize Gus had uncovered in the United States for his plan, but for him to take on any big responsibility would take time and energy. Gus had both of those but he had to balance the scales very carefully if he wanted to be successful.

He looked at his watch. 9:32 pm. If he was lucky, he could get a decent amount of hours of sleep after wrapping up the latest issue at the Pollos Hermanos distribution center. Over the years he had learned not to need many hours of rest, but he still considered it a luxury he could afford from time to time.

He threw a last look to the restaurant, then turned the key of the ignition and drove down the street. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is greatly appreciated!


End file.
